I think the TonePrint idea that the folks over at TC Electronic had was brilliant, and continue to think that same thing, especially since they’ve incorporated it into all different types of pedals, not just the delays. Phaser pedals seem to be kind of a love/hate thing, and since I lean toward the former, I was super-stoked to see that TC was coming out with a TonePrint-enabled phaser. Well, I finally got my hands on the Helix,...
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The Raxxla Chorus is the third pedal we’ve had the pleasure to review from our friends across the pond in St. Petersburg, Russia, Shift Line, and these pedals just keep getting better and better. This pedal is basically 3 chorus pedals wrapped into one neat and tidy enclosure, with a ton of range and warm, lush, organic tones and sounds. If you’re looking for a perfectly versatile chorus that won’t eat up all your...
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Old Boss pedals have a reputation for having certain special elements to them that can’t be replaced by anything modern, which is why some of them fetch huge prices throughout the gear collector world. While a small number of them warrant more prestige and worth than others, many of these pedals that were manufactured before 1994 or so feature unique components and characteristics, which make them hard to recreate, and thus make...
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Review episode Number Three of this “Fly Boys Week” takes our sonic adventures down a different path. The third pedal in this series from Totally Wycked Audio is the FB-03 Echo, a small and powerful delay pedal that works great for multiple musical applications. This little digital delay produces a bright and shiny echo sound, which works as a perfect companion to a darker analog delay in your chain. Sporting a maximum...
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The last few months have been busy for Joel and the crew at Chase Bliss Audio. After releasing brand new versions of their staple pedals the Warped Vinyl and the Wombtone, they’ve now released a THIRD pedal in almost as many weeks, and it will shatter your expectations once again. Keeping with the theme of “best modulation gear on the planet”, we present you with the Gravitas Analog Tremolo. As with the other Chase...
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When you first take a look at the TC-3 Compressor from Big Lloyde, you get the feeling that this is not your grandpa’s compressor pedal, and that something cool is about to happen. Then you plug it in, and realize your hopes and wishes had actually come true. A great-sounding compressor in a neat and tidy pedal package, the TC-3 gives the big fellas a run for their money. The controls are, at first, a little intimidating, but...
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Throughout this awesome pedal review journey I’ve been on, I am always impressed when I come across a company that might not be really well-known, or is kind of flying under the radar, but putting out some incredible-sounding gear. Big Lloyde from Loon Lake, WA is one of these companies, and the F-6 Overdrive is most certainly a pedal that needs to be heard by the masses. As far as the controls for the F-6 are concerned, they...
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How does one begin to review a legend? In part because of the difficulty of getting one, in a larger part due to its unique sound, a legend has certainly grown around the Hermida Audio Zendrive. I’ve just taken delivery of my second one, and can testify that it’s status is well deserved. First, the tone. No overdrive pedal I have owned or played through (and that’s a long list) does quite what a Zendrive does: a smooth, hairless...
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Based on the Jetlyzer JL-70 Phaser from the mid-70’s, the VJR9 Vintage Jet Riser flanger-ish pedal from Maxon faithfully re-creates the jet-like swooshes, swirls and classic tones from that extremely rare and sought-after piece of gear (if you can find one, they go for upwards of $700). Obviously, the cost here is much less, but the JL-70 is also a BIG machine, while the VJR9 is the size of a regular pedal, with all the bells...
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